PARIS, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PulseSight Therapeutics SAS, an ophthalmology biotech company developing disruptive non-viral vectorized therapies with minimally-invasive delivery technology, today announces the first close of its Series A financing with existing investor Pureos BioVentures committing new funds to support the Phase I study of PST-611 and enable preparation for a Phase IIa clinical trial.
PST-611 is a first in class non-viral vectorized therapy for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)/geographic atrophy (GA), expressing human transferrin, a highly potent iron regulator. Restoring normal iron homeostasis, transferrin has demonstrated strong beneficial effects in preclinical models, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and preserving the integrity of the retinal pigment epithelium, with the potential of preventing retinal degeneration and vision loss.
AMD is the leading cause of central vision loss in the elderly, affecting 200 million people worldwide. AMD's pathogenesis is complex and involves the dysregulation of iron homeostasis, leading to an excess of free iron, which results in inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death.
PulseSight has already demonstrated the favorable safety profile of its innovative technology as well as biological activity in the clinic, with a previous clinical program in non-infectious uveitis.
The planned PST-611-CT1 clinical trial aims at primarily confirming the favorable safety profile of PST-611 administration and is expected to start Q2 2025, subject to the regulatory greenlight, with readout anticipated end 2025/early 2026.
The Series A financing remains open to new investors, to provide funds to support PST-611 Phase IIa clinical trial preparation and implementation, as well as the development of PulseSight's wider portfolio of non-viral vectorized therapies including PST-809, a potential first-in-class therapy for wet AMD that comprises a dual-gene plasmid encoding for a potent anti-VEGF, together with decorin, an anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic native protein. Wet AMD is a complex disease involving many pathological pathways which lead to progressive vision loss and there remains a significant unmet need.
Dominik Escher, board director of PulseSight and Partner at Pureos Bioventures, said, "Pureos is delighted to continue its support of PulseSight, to enable it to advance what we believe could be truly life-changing treatments for patients with diseases leading to sight loss. PST-611 is developed in GA, a blinding disease with no treatments approved in Europe. PST-611 has a completely new mode of action with the potential to stop the progression of the disease, a truly high unmet medical need. PulseSight has the innovation and expertise to become a highly valuable company in the field of non-viral gene therapy in ophthalmology.”
Judith Greciet, CEO of PulseSight Therapeutics, said, "We are excited to have the funds to progress our lead program, PST-611, which we believe holds the potential to become a major new treatment option for patients with dry AMD/GA. This financing enables us to execute on our goal of confirming the safety of our drug candidate and to then rapidly move into a phase II proof-of-concept study, to demonstrate transferrin's ability to protect retinal cells and preserve vision.”
Dirk Sauer, Chairman of the Board of PulseSight Therapeutics, said, "I congratulate Judith and the team who have advanced PST-611 at pace during 2024 and welcome the continued support of Pureos BioVentures to advance our lead candidate. There remains an unaddressed need for non-viral approaches that would unlock the full potential of gene therapies. I am encouraged by the data behind PulseSight's approach and its therapies, and I look forward to welcoming other investors to the syndicate to enable us to further validate PulseSight's disruptive potential through clinical studies.”
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About age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
AMD develops with aging. It is a disease with progressive, painless loss of central vision with a strong burden on patients' everyday life, impacting their ability to read, recognize faces and see objects, and is ultimately leading to irreversible central vision loss. Dry AMD is the most common form of AMD, progressing through successive stages into the late form of dry AMD also called geographic atrophy (GA). Wet AMD is a less common type of late AMD causing faster vision loss. Any stage of dry AMD can turn into wet AMD. In all its forms, AMD represents a compelling unmet need for more effective and durable treatment options, with a large and growing market, estimated to reach $27.5 Billion by 2031.
About PulseSight Therapeutics
PulseSight is clinical-stage biotech company committed to developing disruptive non-viral vectorized therapies with minimally-invasive delivery technology to protect and improve the vision of patients with retinal disease with a focus on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) including wet AMD and geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry AMD.
Already clinically validated for its safety and sustained activity, PulseSight's technology platform delivers DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle using an electro-transfection system. The ciliary muscle cells act as biofactories, expressing therapeutic proteins that reach the retina with high distribution, providing a safe and long-lasting treatment for major eye diseases.
For more information visit www.PulseSightTherapeutics.com
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